![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/fan-favourite-dies-yards-from-winning-500k-race-in-most-horrific-thing-ever-witnessed/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1_Melanie-Giddings-with-her-namesake-Maple-Leaf-Mel.jpg&description=Maple Leaf Mel, owned by legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells, was heading to her sixth straight win when she suffered a fatal injury in an incident which has shaken the US racing community The US racing community has been left devastated by the 'gut wrenching' loss of a fan favourite at the end of a £500,000 race. Grey filly Maple Leaf Mel was named by her owner, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells, after her Canadian-born rookie trainer Melanie Giddings. She had quickly earned a huge following as a result of regular social media posts from Giddings, including some of the pair snoozing in Maple Leaf Mel's stall, as much as her performances on the track. The winner of her first five starts, she was bidding for a sixth and first at Grade 1 level in Saturday's Test Stakes at Saratoga. Maple Leaf Mel was on track to achieve that goal, lengths clear of the field with victory in sight when tragedy struck just yards from the winning post. She sustained a significant injury to her right foreleg and fell to the ground. Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the filly was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury. Horse racing blogger Dave Portnoy wrote on social media: "That was the most horrific thing I've ever witnessed at a track. So sad. So awful. Devastating." After such a hollow victory the connections of the fortunate winner Godolphin's Pretty Mischievous declined to enter the winners' circle at Saratoga. Parcells, who coached the New York Giants to Super Bowl glory, sent Maple Leaf Mel to Giddings, 39, when she took out her licence nine months ago. 'Coach called me [Saturday] and told me how sorry he was for me,' Giddings said, speaking to the Daily Racing Form. 'I felt sorry for him. He had his whole family here and she could have done it for him. He just told me he was proud of me, that I showed that I could compete at that level. It meant a lot.' On Sunday Brendan Walsh, trainer of Pretty Mischievous, brought the wreath){kind=link}
Maple Leaf Mel, owned by legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells, was heading to her sixth straight win when she suffered a fatal injury in an incident which has shaken the US racing community
The US racing community has been left devastated by the “gut wrenching” loss of a fan favourite at the end of a £500,000 race.
Grey filly Maple Leaf Mel was named by her owner, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells, after her Canadian-born rookie trainer Melanie Giddings.
She had quickly earned a huge following as a result of regular social media posts from Giddings, including some of the pair snoozing in Maple Leaf Mel’s stall, as much as her performances on the track.
The winner of her first five starts, she was bidding for a sixth and first at Grade 1 level in Saturday’s Test Stakes at Saratoga.